U.S. is now the world’s biggest oil and gas producer

Re:U.S. is now the world’s biggest oil and gas producer by ihsw on Monday October 07, 2013 @09:11AM (#6507964)

Oil subsidies are the only reason the US is an energy production leader, not unlike how corn subsidies are the only reason corn-based ethanol is competitive.

Ending subsidies cannot be done -- it needs to be accomplished as a side-effect of ending political interference. The oil lobby and corn lobby are very powerful.

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Re:U.S. is now the world’s biggest oil and gas producer by hrishirc on Monday October 07, 2013 @10:12AM (#6508334)

what's the point of being a production leader? Shouldn't it be left to the free market? The Oil bias is in a sense, hampering innovation in efficiency in oil-consuming machines, notwithstanding effects on other energy sources.

Remember, the great efficiency drive in automobiles started after the Middle East Oil crisis in 1979, if I'm not wrong...

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Re:U.S. is now the world’s biggest oil and gas producer by ihsw on Monday October 07, 2013 @10:25AM (#6508429)

The point is control -- look no further than the Carter Doctrine to understand the basis of America's foreign policy in the Middle East.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_doctrine

It's the reason the US Marines have their own air force -- they don't want someone else second-guessing their decisions.

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Re:U.S. is now the world’s biggest oil and gas producer by nazgulnarsil on Monday October 07, 2013 @01:42PM (#6509862)

Thank you for making this point. The economically literate see "price controls" and think "oh no, that is inefficient wrt price! This has been proven." But the point of price control isn't prices, it's control.

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